Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Kenneth Thurman died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Sergeant Thurman was a United States Army veteran and served 21 years with the Aurora Police Department.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Kenneth J. Thurman, Sr. died on January 19, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 51.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 2 at Aurora Police Department.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and 11 children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-8902D567- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Sergeant Thurman gave the Aurora Police Department 21 years.
Thank you for your service to the Aurora community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Thurman.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Kenneth J. Thurman, Sr. served in the Army (1988â2000) before joining law enforcement.
Sergeant Kenneth J. Thurman, Sr. is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IL, 66 of 1,318 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Aurora Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Kenneth J. Thurman, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Kenneth J. Thurman, Sr. Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Kenneth J. Thurman, Sr. is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Aurora Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
